FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The MD/MPH intercalated program can be completed in five years, compared to at least six years if both courses are undertaken separately. Designed as an integrated program, it offers a seamless education that enriches and complements future medical practice.

    The MD/MPH allows MD students to develop public health skills and interests much earlier in their medical careers. It provides focus, professional networks, and a strong foundation for those aspiring to improve population health, whether their future lies in medical specialisation, clinical leadership, or public health practice.

  • MD students may have the option to undertake an international exchange in the first 6 months of their MPH year. Contact the MD/MPH coordinator early in your MD to express interest and receive advice regarding essential course planning.  Students considering exchange should plan to take up to two of the MPH compulsory subjects as Discovery . Refer to: Structure: MD-MPH Program — The University of Melbourne Handbook

    While on global study exchange, only exchange subjects can be undertaken (i.e students cannot be enrolled in any University of Melbourne subjects during this time, even if delivered online). Students may only take subjects for elective credit while on exchange.

    If students choose an exchange, their study plan will be:

    • Discovery: recommend undertaking  compulsory MPH subjects as Discovery Faculty Selectives in MD Year 1 and MD Year 2
    • Overseas-based semester during Semester 1 of MPH year: electives (50 points)
    • Melbourne-based semester during Semester 2 of MPH year: remaining compulsory MPH subjects (check subject availability carefully)

    The following partner institutions are approved for MD-MPH exchange:

    If you are accepted into the MD/MPH and are interested in undertaking an exchange opportunity in your first 6 months of the MPH, you need to ensure you meet the global learning application deadline.

  • In short, no! The MD/MPH program is designed to enhance your medical training, not detract from it. In fact, it aims to create more well-rounded doctors - clinicians who think deeply about who their patients are, the social and environmental factors that shape their health, and how these can be addressed to prevent illness before it occurs.

    Medicine is evolving, with growing emphasis on prevention and public health. The MD/MPH equips you to understand and influence the broader health and social systems in which you’ll work, helping you become a more effective and informed practitioner.

    The program is structured so that students complete three years of the MD before taking a year to focus on MPH subjects, then return to complete their final year of the MD. By the time you begin the MPH, you’ll have already completed most of your clinical training. When you return, you’ll move into your transition-to-practice year, including pre-internship activities and either a research or clinical scholar project (and terms) with a public health focus.

    This structure ensures you maintain and build upon your medical knowledge and clinical skills, graduating as a doctor with both the clinical expertise and the public health perspective needed to improve health outcomes at every level.

  • Completing either an MD or an MPH enables professionals to improve health outcomes, whether for individual patients or entire populations. Combined, these qualifications provide a powerful and complementary skill set that prepares graduates to not only deliver clinical care, but also identify areas of need, lead teams, and drive meaningful change across health systems.

    Graduates with both medical and public health training are equipped to work across a wide range of fields, including:

    • Clinical medicine and medical specialisation
    • Quantitative and qualitative research
    • Health policy and reform
    • Public health programs and health systems
    • Advocacy and community health
    • Academia and teaching
    • Non-government and not-for-profit organisations
    • International and global health, including work with underserved populations

    As one of the most widely recognised public health qualifications globally, the MPH provides a strong foundation for leadership, collaboration, and evidence-based decision-making in diverse professional contexts.

    In Australia, an MPH is essential for entry into Advanced Training in Public Health Medicine offered through the Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine (AFPHM ), a Faculty of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP).

    If you are interested in pursuing Advanced Training in Public Health Medicine, please ensure you check the Advanced Training in Public Health Medicine website to ensure your MPH study satisfies AFPHM requirements as these are subject to change.

  • Students enrolled in the MD/MPH pathway incur lower costs compared to completing the MPH as a standalone degree, as they receive subject credit through the combined program.

    For a student in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP), indicative fees can be calculated at Student contribution amounts. With the recent removal of HECS time and credit caps for graduate study, CSP students can complete their studies in a timely and affordable way.

  • Youth Allowance:

    Students who are eligible for Youth Allowance, have completed three years of the MD, and are under 25 years of age when enrolling in the MPH, remain eligible for support during the MPH year. Previous study is not counted when changing courses under Youth Allowance.

    When returning to complete the final year of the MD, students remain eligible, as Youth Allowance covers the standard duration of a course plus one additional year. This means eligible students can receive support for up to five years in total, including the MPH year.

    Austudy:

    Students aged 25 years and over may be eligible for Austudy. However, under Austudy rules, students undertaking an MPH after three years of MD study are not eligible for Centrelink support during the MPH year, but eligibility resumes when they return to complete the final MD year.

  • MPH subjects involve preparation, pre-reading, team activities, analysis, coursework and writing tasks that are very different to the MD degree. While this is often a welcome change from the demanding schedule created by the MD, it also provides an opportunity to improve collaboration and teamwork skills essential for success in medical and public health practice.

    Fellow MPH students come from over 40 countries and a wide range of disciplines, many having significant levels of work experience, so there are great opportunities for learning with and from fellow students.

  • No, students who intend to pursue the MD/MPH will be subject to the same preferencing and allocation process for MD Discovery 1 and MD Discovery 2 as all other students. An intention to pursue the MD/MPH is not considered an acceptable reason to appeal Discovery subject or topic allocation.